Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued his first public statement since taking over following his father’s death, threatening retaliation against Iran’s enemies. The statement was broadcast on state TV, though Khamenei did not appear in person.
He vowed vengeance for the deaths of martyrs, praised Iranian forces, and warned that Iran could seize or destroy enemy assets and potentially close the Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei also described seeing his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body after an Israeli strike that killed him, noting that several family members were also killed.